Time running out to save coral reefs, scientists say

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

The chance to save the world's coral reefs from damage caused by climate change is dwindling as man-made greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, scientists said in a study released on Sunday.

Around 70 per cent of corals are expected to suffer from long-term degradation by 2030, even if strict emission cuts are enforced, according to the study.

"The window of opportunity to preserve the majority of coral reefs, part of the world's natural heritage, is small," said Malte Meinshausen, co-author of the report published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

"We close this window if we follow another decade of ballooning global greenhouse-gas emissions."

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/time-running-out-to-save-coral-reefs-scientists-say-20120917-260yg.html

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Coral reefs worldwide are at risk from climate change, a study finds.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/time-running-out-to-save-coral-reefs-scientists-say-20120917-260yg.html#ixzz26fyjyk00

[formercia]

1. Move the Coral Reefs North.

Not physically, but helping Mother Nature by seeding reef species Northward as the water temperatures will accommodate.

[CreekDog]

6. The oceans are growing more acidic, complicating your solution

to say the least.

[Babette]

7. The relationship between corals and their symbiotes, as well as ocean acidification,

complicates this idea. There have been some researchers trying to see if just moving corals northwards (or southwards on the other side of the equator) can help them survive. Part of the issue is that many corals capture symbiodinium as they settle, and some symbiodinium can survive higher temperatures than others. There has been a lot of argument among scientists as to whether or not the required symbiodinium can be "seeded" to introduce types with higher thermal tolerance.

Ocean acidification is occurring too quickly for most organisms to adapt at all. Again, a lot of research is going on that shows how different organisms react to the increase in ocean pH. Some echinoderms cannot survive the larval stage, others react by growing huge exoskeletons that they spend a lot of energy dragging around. Some corals do OK, most erode into naked polyps.

I attended the International Coral Reef Symposium in Cairns this year. There were a lot of presentations- some contradicting others- about how to help the reefs survive. The website has video of the plenary speakers (on the front page). Madeleine van Oppen and Peter Kareiva gave talks that you might find interesting.

http://www.icrs2012.com/ (I haven't posted in years..... I'm not sure if this will work!)

[link:http://www.icrs2012.com/]

[X_Digger]

8. That's already happening!

http://www.ouramazingplanet.com/1118-coral-reefs-warming-oceans-moving-poleward.html

[pscot]

2. time is running out to save ourselves

[november3rd]

3. People Must Act

It's clear that elections change little. A massive retooling of our economy to green energy, and an arrest and steep reduction in use of oil, coal, and natural gas--coupled with a near elimination of military spending--is what's needed to prevent the seven to twelve degree temperature rise that will occur by 2100 if we stay the course.

But the Beltway can't handle this truth.

Therefore, we need a grass roots mass movement, NOW, to save the coral reefs, and ourselves.

Join a grass roots group and work for change in your community: Greenpeace, Occupy, Peace Action, etc...

The time has truly come for the people to act. That's why we're here.

[GliderGuider]

5. +1

It's not so much that the Beltway can't handle the truth though. Their hands are tied by their corporate owners, along with the fact that politicians need votes to win power. Very few people (and no corporations) will choose voluntary long-term impoverishment. The political sphere can't help us with this one, because the changes required are now too fundamental, big, too urgent and too permanent. In fact politicians in general (with a few lonely exceptions) will be in the front lines of the fight against these changes.

[flamingdem]

12. I call BS, elections certainly do matter!

What do you think would happen with the Koch Bros in charge? You can forget the environment.

[mopinko]

4. i read something a little while back about low level electric current

stimulating reef growth. i think they ran some copper wires and ran a very low level current. it subtly changed the charges, and caused the calcium ions (cations?) to be attracted to the reef, and they got significant growth.
i know that reefs are large, but how much would it cost to put up a couple solar panels and run some copper wire?
i'm pretty sure we need those reefs.

[X_Digger]

9. Not only that, but ionic iron is a limiting element..

http://news.discovery.com/tech/electricity-coral-reefs-biorock-111226.html

That's why iron-hulled ships that sink are so quickly colonized by coral larvae polyps.

You wouldn't want to use copper, which is toxic to most invertebrates, though.

[mopinko]

10. why aren't they doing iron seeding?

isn't that known to help? seems like this is something we know a lot about with so many corals in aquariums small and large.
i think the biggest obstacle to solving any of our environmental problems will be getting people to trust science and act accordingly.

[X_Digger]

13. Well, iron in the water (rather than the benthic zone)..

.. tends to fuel algae blooms. Think of iron hulled ships as a time-release capsule, putting iron in the places where corals can get to it first. Many artificial reef structures include bits of iron in the concrete mix, for just such a purpose.

If you've kept a marine planted aquarium, you're likely used to using chelated iron to improve growth and coloration. At the same time, it helps corals grow.

This is about a year and a half of growth..

[Bragi]

11. Sadly, we have no intention or ability to change anything

It's clear by now that even if most regular people want to address climate change, which they do, that corporate interests and the politicians, governments and security apparatus they own will not allow this to happen.

The coral reefs will therefore not be saved, nor will the worst effects of climate change be avoided. The reason is that we lack the political and social institutions needed to take on the people who own the money, our governments, and the security establishment that protects them.

In other words, the 1 per cent has won, and they have more carbon already discovered in the ground that they intend to burn than a planet many times the size of earth could safely absorb.

[Uncle Joe]

14. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Omaha Steve.

[maxsolomon]

15. you don't know what you've got till its gone

humans are not capable of adressing this problem - they are too greedy, venal, and short-sighted. more importantly, energy is too cheap.

at some point, after the fossil fuels are exhausted, the planet will begin to repair itself, and hopefully some coral remains.